PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Defense Enjoys Time Off Sunday

The Raider defenders were reduced to spectators for much of last Sunday’s opener, highly paid sideline cheerleaders.

And they couldn’t have been happier about it.

In beating the Minnesota Vikings, 24-7, the Raiders held on to the ball for 39:35 of the 60 minutes, including drives of 8:34 and 11:21.

“It’s fabulous,” said veteran defensive lineman Howie Long, who has seen his share of both good and bad Raider offenses in his 12 previous seasons with the club. “When you’re sitting on the bench for eight, nine or 10 minutes, it’s phenomenal. Especially on a hot day. We were always fresh. I can’t say enough about what (quarterback) Jeff Hostetler did.”

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When the defense was on the field, the most eye-catching performance was that of middle linebacker Joe Kelly. Coming over from the New York Jets as a free agent, Kelly was a dominating force Sunday in an area that was too often a weakness for the Raiders last season.

“When the whistle blows to start the game,” said Raider defensive lineman Anthony Smith, a dominating force himself, “he (Kelly) turns into a different person. He’s a monster.”